Wayne Thiebaud's children: All about his daughter Twinka as celebrated American painter dies aged 101

Artist Wayne Thiebaud, known for his extraordinary paintings featuring ordinary objects from everyday life and cityscapes, died at his Sacramento home on Saturday, December 25, at the age of 101. His death was confirmed in two statements from the University of California, Davis and Acquavella Galleries.

Wayne Thiebaud started out as an animator for Walt Disney. He worked as a poster designer and a commercial artist before he became a painter. He also taught at the University of California, Davis as a professor for more than 40 years, retiring in 1991.

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Everything about the daughter of Wayne Thiebaud and his death

Twinka Thiebaud (Photographed by Judy Dater)

Twinka Thiebaud is the oldest daughter of Wayne Thiebaud, from his first marriage with Patricia Thiebaud. Twinka was born on December 9, 1945, two years after her parents' marriage. She worked as a model for several prominent photographers in the twentieth century. Twinka grew up in Los Angeles, New York City, and Sacramento (where Wayne Thiebaud worked as a professor at UC Davis).

Twinka went to Marin County, California with her mother and sisters to pursue further studies from Redwood High School, after her parents got divorced in 1958. During her modeling career, she worked with prominent artists and photographers like Robert Heinecken, Judy Dater, Mary Ellen Mark, Arnold Newman, Lucien Clergue, Eikoh Hosoe, Ralph Gibson, and Arthur Tress.

Twinka has been residing in Portland, Oregon, since 1993, working as a painter and writer. Resulting from her stay with novelist Henry Miller (whom she served as a cook and caretaker), her book Reflections was published in 1981. Later in 2011, an extensive rewrite of the book was published under the title What Doncha Know? about Henry Miller.

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The cause of Wayne Thiebaud's death is unknown

On Sunday, New York's Acquavella Galleries, which exhibited many of Thiebaud's paintings, posted on Instagram without mentioning the cause of his death. It read as:

"It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of a truly remarkable man, Wayne Thiebaud. An American icon, Wayne led his life with passion and determination, inspired by his love for teaching, tennis, and above all, making art. Even at 101 years old, he still spent most days in the studio, driven by, as he described with his characteristic humility, 'this almost neurotic fixation of trying to learn to paint.'"

In another statement from the chancellor of UC Davis, Gary S. May, said:

"Wayne Thiebaud had a profound and lasting influence on our university, but his legacy transcends UC Davis. He was beloved as an artist, professor, mentor, father, grandfather, philanthropist, and community leader. He was a brilliant artist, and his work will forever encourage us to see our world in a more textural light, where common objects can ascend to profound and iconic heights."

Tributes started pouring in as soon as news of his death broke, as his followers took to Twitter to express their grief. Here are some tweets that were posted in honor of Wayne Thiebaud.

Wayne Thiebaud, the American artist who turned 101 on November 15, 2021, is survived by two daughters, a son and six grandchildren.